This invention relates to a mixing and distributing apparatus and method, and more particularly to such an apparatus and method in which one or more materials are mixed in a vessel and distributed from the vessel.
The use of fluidized beds has long been recognized as an attractive way of generating heat. In these type of arrangements, a particulate material, including a mixture of fuel material, such as coal, and an adsorbent material for the sulfur released as a result of the combustion of the fuel material, are disposed on a grate or grate-like plate. Air is passed through the bed to fluidize the material so that the bed behaves as a boiling liquid which promotes the combustion of the fuel.
Additional fuel and adsorbent material must be continuously supplied to the bed through a plurality of overbed or inbed feeders disposed at spaced locations along the walls of the vessel housing of the fluidized bed. Since in many arrangements a plurality of material inlets are provided through two or more walls of the vessel, it becomes difficult from a materials handling standpoint to receive the fuel materials and the adsorbent materials from separate sources, mix them and uniformly distribute them to the selected locations along the walls of the vessel.
In order to promote the mixing and improve the handling capability of the material it has been suggested to pass a stream of air through the materials. However, since the air discharged with the mixed solids is only a relatively small percentage of the air flow required to insure proper mixing, a considerable amount of excess air is present in the system which must be removed to insure proper operation.